JP7159001B2 - Medical information processing device and medical information processing system - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a medical information processing apparatus and a medical information processing system.

In recent years, cooperation among local medical institutions has progressed. As a result, for example, when medical institutions collaborate to provide treatment, it becomes necessary for the medical institutions to share medical information. At this time, if each medical institution assigns different patient IDs to the same patient in the medical information, it is necessary to identify the patients with different patient IDs.

On the other hand, an image processing apparatus capable of supporting identification of such patients is known. This image processing apparatus processes a plurality of first anatomical landmarks extracted from a first medical image and a plurality of second anatomical landmarks extracted from a second medical image obtained from a predetermined database. Calculates the degree of similarity between and displays information based on the calculation result. Here, each of the first medical image and the second medical image may be medical information in which different patient IDs are assigned to the same patient. That is, according to this image processing apparatus, it is possible to support identification of patients with different patient IDs by means of a configuration that calculates the degree of similarity between a plurality of anatomical landmarks corresponding to different patient IDs.

The image processing apparatus as described above usually poses no particular problem. It may change and become less similar and may no longer assist in patient identification. Examples of this type of past history include resection of organs such as the stomach, orthopedic surgery, placement of artificial objects, and the like. Medical history may include weight loss due to medication. The medical history may also include deformation of organs or bones due to non-surgical procedures. Examples of patients include those who have difficulty hearing information to identify them, such as due to unconsciousness or dementia. In other words, the image processing apparatus described above has room for improvement in that it does not take into consideration changes in anatomical landmarks due to the patient's medical history.

JP 2017-167965 A

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to assist patient identification while taking into account changes in anatomical landmarks due to the patient's medical history.

A medical information processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a first storage unit, an acquisition unit, and a change unit. The first storage stores a new first medical image. The acquisition unit acquires positions of a plurality of first anatomical landmarks from the first medical image. The changing unit changes the weight setting of the first anatomical landmarks used for comparison with the plurality of second anatomical landmarks in the past second medical image, based on the acquired positions.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a medical information processing apparatus and its peripheral configuration according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of weighting information according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining operations in the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the operation in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display screen for explaining operations in the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display screen for explaining operations in the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a setting screen for explaining operations in the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a setting screen for explaining operations in the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the operation in the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flow chart for explaining the operation in the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display screen for explaining operations in the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining operations in the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of singularity exclusion information according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flowchart for explaining operations in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 15 is a flowchart for explaining operations in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display screen for explaining operations in the fourth embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a medical information processing apparatus and a medical information processing system will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, constituent elements having substantially the same configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be given only when necessary.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a medical information processing apparatus and its peripheral configuration according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of weighting information.

Here, the medical information processing system 1 includes a medical information processing apparatus 10, an image database 21, a patient information database 22, and a gateway (GW) device 23, which are connected to each other. The gateway device 23 enables the medical information processing device 10 to communicate with n medical information processing systems 31, 32, . That is, in a certain area, the medical information processing systems 1, 31, 32, . However, each of the medical information processing systems 1, 31, . Therefore, when identifying a patient for a different patient ID, the medical information processing system 1 may communicate with one of the medical information processing systems 31, . many. Further, each medical information processing system 1, 31, 32, . . . , 3n has the same configuration. Therefore, the description of the medical information processing system 1 can be replaced with the description of the medical information processing systems 31, 32, . The hardware configuration of such a medical information processing system 1 and its peripheral devices can be implemented as a general computer system. The medical information processing system 1 may also be called a medical facility system. Also, the medical information processing apparatus 10 may be modified to include at least one of the image database 21 and the patient information database 22 .

Here, the medical information processing apparatus 10 has a memory 11 , a display 12 , an input interface 13 , a processing circuit 15 and a communication interface 16 . The medical information processing apparatus 10 may further include at least one of the image database 21 and the patient information database 22 . In this case, at least one of the image database 21 and the patient information database 22 may be implemented as different storage areas of the same storage device in the memory 11, or may be implemented as different storage devices in the memory 11. good. The processing circuitry 15 implements an acquisition function 151 , a change function 152 and a comparison function 157 . The change function 152 may include a detection function 153, a display control function 154, a setting function 155 and an adjustment function 156 as appropriate.

Here, the memory 11 includes a memory main body for recording electrical information such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a HDD (Hardware Disk Drive), and an image memory, and a memory controller attached to the memory main body. It consists of peripheral circuits such as a memory interface. The memory 11 stores input information, medical images, patient information, weighting information 11a, data during processing, data after processing, programs of the medical information processing apparatus 10, and the like. The new first medical image to be stored in the memory 11 is acquired from, for example, one of the linked medical information processing systems 31 to 3n. Alternatively, the new first medical image stored in the memory 11 is acquired from the image database 21 after being written to the image database 21 from any of the linked medical information processing systems 31 to 3n, for example. The past second medical images stored in the memory 11 are read from the image database 21, for example. The weighting information 11a stored in the memory 11 includes, as an example shown in FIG. information as to whether or not to remove from is described in association with each other. Here, the ID and region of the first medical image are acquired from, for example, supplementary information of the first medical image. Also, the site, the name of the anatomical landmark, the weighting value, the singularity flag, and the information as to whether or not to exclude from the comparison target are initially set in advance in the template of the weighting information 11a. The memory 11 may store programs in advance before the medical information processing apparatus 10 is installed in the medical information processing system 1 . Alternatively, after the computer serving as the medical information processing apparatus 10 is arranged in the medical information processing system 1, the memory 11 may be stored in a server apparatus that distributes the program, or from a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores the program. The acquired program may be stored. Memory 11 is an example of a first storage unit.

The display 12 includes a display body that displays various information, an internal circuit that supplies display signals to the display body, and peripheral circuits such as connectors and cables that connect the display body and the internal circuit. Various types of information include, for example, medical information such as medical images and anatomical landmarks, a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for receiving various operations from the operator, a weighting setting screen, processing results of the processing circuit 15, and the like. There is The internal circuit superimposes supplementary information on the image data supplied from the processing circuit 15 to generate display data, performs D/A conversion and TV format conversion on the obtained display data, and displays it on the display main body. The display 12 is an example of a display section.

The input interface 13 inputs information, sets conditions, inputs various command signals, and the like. The input interface 13 includes, for example, a trackball, a switch button, a mouse, a keyboard, a touchpad for performing input operations by touching the operation surface, and a touch panel display in which the display screen and the touchpad are integrated. etc. The input interface 13 is connected to the processing circuit 15 , converts an input operation received from an operator into an electrical signal, and outputs the electrical signal to the processing circuit 15 . It should be noted that the input interface 13 in this specification is not limited to having physical operation parts such as a mouse and a keyboard. For example, the input interface 13 includes an electrical signal processing circuit that receives an electrical signal corresponding to an input operation from an external input device provided separately from the device and outputs the electrical signal to the processing circuit 15. .

The communication interface 16 is a circuit for communicating with an external device by wire, wireless, or both. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the external devices are the image database 21, the patient information database 22, and the medical information processing systems 31 to 3n linked on the network Nw via the gateway device 23, but are not limited to these. . External devices include, for example, modality, image processing device, radiology department information management system (RIS: Radiological Information System), hospital information system (HIS: Hospital Information System) and PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System), etc. It may be a server, or another workstation or the like.

The processing circuit 15 is a processor that reads out and executes a program stored in the memory 11 based on an instruction input by an operator through the input interface 13, thereby realizing each function corresponding to the program. In other words, the processing circuit 15 in a state in which the program has been read has, in addition to normal computer functions, functions such as the acquisition function 151, the change function 152, and the comparison function 157 shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, it is assumed that each function is realized by a single processor. It does not matter if it is realized. In FIG. 1, the single memory 11 stores the programs corresponding to each function. It may be configured to read out each program to be used.

Here, the acquisition function 151 acquires the positions of the plurality of first anatomical landmarks from the new first medical image that is transmitted from any one of the linked medical information processing systems 31 to 3n and stored in the memory 11. get. The acquisition function 151 acquires a plurality of first anatomical images from a new first medical image that is transmitted from any of the linked medical information processing systems 31 to 3n and stored in the memory 11 via the image database 21. Landmark positions may be obtained. The position of the first anatomical landmark is the coordinates of the first anatomical landmark in the first medical image. Supplementally, anatomical landmarks are well-defined points in the human anatomy. Anatomical landmarks can be anatomically defined in terms of anatomical structures such as bones, vessels or organs. The locations of anatomical landmarks can be viewed as points in coordinate space. In addition, the position of each anatomical landmark can also be regarded as relative coordinates when one of the anatomical landmarks is set as the origin. These are the same throughout this specification.

Note that the acquisition function 151 may acquire the name of the first anatomical landmark in addition to the position of the first anatomical landmark. Such an acquisition function 151 uses, for example, preset shapes and names of anatomical landmarks, and extracts the first anatomical landmarks from the first medical image based on the shapes of the anatomical landmarks. can be realized by detecting the coordinates of and associating the name with the detected coordinates. Not limited to this, the acquisition function 151 can use existing anatomical landmark extraction techniques. The acquisition function 151 may also acquire a plurality of second anatomical landmark information from the image database 21 or the second medical image in the memory 11 . The second anatomical landmark information includes the name and coordinates of the second anatomical landmark. Acquisition function 151 is an example of an acquisition unit.

A new first medical image is assigned a patient ID by the linked medical information processing system. A past second medical image is assigned a patient ID by the medical information processing system 1 . The first medical image and the second medical image are captured by the same or different patients, different patient IDs and image IDs are described in the incidental information, and the same imaging region is described in the incidental information.

The change function 152 changes the weight setting of the first anatomical landmarks used for comparison with the plurality of second anatomical landmarks in the past second medical image based on the positions acquired by the acquisition function 151. do. The change function 152 is an example of a change unit.

Here, the change function 152 may appropriately include a detection function 153, a display control function 154, a setting function 155 and an adjustment function 156 described below.

Based on the positions acquired by the acquisition function 151, the detection function 153 detects, among the plurality of first anatomical landmarks, the first anatomical landmarks that deviate from the positions of the average anatomical landmarks as singular points. To detect. The detection function 153 is an example of a detection unit.

The display control function 154 controls the display 12 so as to display data during processing, data of processing results, etc. according to the processing by each function. For example, the display control function 154 causes the display 12 to display a setting screen for setting whether or not to use the detected singular point for comparison. This setting screen preferably includes a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for setting (selecting) whether or not to use a singular point for comparison, for example, from the viewpoint of operability for the operator. As a GUI, for example, an icon for setting (designating) a singularity and its selection or non-selection, a check box for setting (selecting) whether or not to use a singularity for comparison, or a button to be operated etc. can be used as appropriate. Note that at least one of the GUIs exemplified here may be included in the setting screen. For example, the check box may be omitted from the setting screen by making it possible to select whether or not to use the singular point for comparison by operating the icon indicating the singular point and its selection/non-selection. Alternatively, the icon may be omitted from the setting screen by replacing it with a landmark (a mere mark of a singular point) that does not operate by operation. Also, the type of GUI may be replaced with another type. For example, the GUI may use radio buttons instead of check boxes. A GUI may also be called a GUI component. The display control function 154 is an example of a display control unit.

The setting function 155 sets the weighting of the singular points according to the GUI operation by the operator while the setting screen is displayed. The setting function 155 is an example of a setting unit.

The adjustment function 156 adjusts the setting so that the weighting value is lower than the initial value when the singular point indicates a part of the organ. Adjustment function 156 is an example of an adjustment unit.

A comparison function 157 performs a comparison between the first anatomical landmark and the second anatomical landmark based on the weighting setting. Comparison function 157 is an example of a comparison unit.

The image database 21 is a storage device that stores new first medical images and past second medical images. A new first medical image is assigned a patient ID by the medical institution to which the medical information processing system 31 of the cooperation destination belongs. A past second medical image is assigned a patient ID by the medical institution to which the medical information processing system 1 belongs, and is associated with patient information in the patient information database 22 via the patient ID. The image database 21 is an example of a storage device in the medical information processing system.

The patient information database 22 is a storage device that stores patient information. Patient information includes information about the patient such as patient ID, age, gender, height, weight and medical history. Note that the past history may be stored as information separate from the patient information. For example, anamnesis is information about deformation of anatomical landmarks, so it may be part of a surgical report showing a history of treatments such as gastrectomy. Gastrectomy includes, for example, total gastrectomy, pyloric side gastrectomy, pylorus-preserving gastrectomy, and cardial side gastrectomy. That is, anamnesis is associated with singularities of anatomical landmarks.

The gateway device 23 is a device that communicably connects the internal network of the medical information processing system 1 and the external network Nw.

The medical information processing systems 31 to 3n to be linked have the same configuration as described above. Therefore, the medical information processing system 31 will be described below as a representative example. The medical information processing system 31 of the cooperation destination is provided in a medical institution that cooperates with the medical information processing system 1, and although the medical images stored in the medical image DB and the medical history DB and the contents of each table differ depending on the patient, It has the same functions as the medical information processing system 1 .

Next, the operation of the medical information processing apparatus and medical information processing system configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4 and the schematic diagrams of FIGS. In the following description, of medical institutions that cooperate with each other, one medical institution requests provision of patient's medical information, and the other medical institution provides the medical information. However, it is assumed that this patient is unable to hear information for identifying the patient due to unconsciousness, dementia, or the like, in addition to changes in anatomical landmarks due to past surgery or the like. In addition, although gastrectomy is used as an example of past surgery, it is not limited to this.

First, the medical information processing system 31 of the cooperation destination captures a new first medical image of the patient, and sends a request message requesting provision of medical information such as the patient's past second medical image and patient information. Send to the medical information processing system 1 . At this time, it is assumed that the request message includes, for example, a message body in which information for specifying the individual patient to the extent known is described in a predetermined format, and the first medical image as an attached file. Here, as the information for identifying the individual patient, for example, when the patient is unconscious or has dementia, the apparent age and sex can be used. If the patient has dementia, the patient's name, address, age, etc. can be used. However, the name and address may be as long as they can be heard. As for the age in the case of dementia, the apparent age may be used. In addition, sex may be used as information for identifying an individual patient. Here, when the information for identifying the individual patient includes the name of the patient, patient identification is performed by confirming that the patient in the first medical image matches the patient in the past second medical image with the same name as the patient. It becomes the processing to do. In this case, the patient candidate to be identified is usually one person. On the other hand, if the information that identifies the individual patient does not include the patient's name, patient identification is performed by identifying the patient in the past second medical image that matches the patient in the first medical image as the patient in the first medical image. This is a process of searching for patients in the same age group who have received the second medical image in the past. In this case, there are usually a plurality of candidate patients to be identified. In any case, basically, candidates of patients to be identified are narrowed down by name and age group. However, it is also possible to select all patients as candidates for patients to be identified. Further, when the information identifying the individual patient includes the patient's address, the medical information processing system 31 of the cooperating destination selects the medical information processing system 1 of the medical institution near the patient's address as the transmission destination of the request message. good too. In this case, for example, a destination selection table that associates the name of each medical information processing system of the cooperation destination with an address range indicating physically close addresses and close addresses when using a means of transportation is stored in the memory in advance. It is also possible to select the destination from the patient's address. Alternatively, the operator may select the destination based on experience. However, the destination of the request message is not limited to narrowing down by the address, and may be all of the medical information processing systems of the cooperating destinations. Moreover, the destination of the request message is not limited to one medical information processing system 1, and may be a plurality of medical information processing systems 1, 32, .

When the medical information processing apparatus 10 in the medical information processing system 1 receives the request message, the processing circuit 15 stores the request message in the memory 11 and displays it on the display 12 . Note that the processing circuit 15 may display the request message acquired from the image database 21 on the display 12 after temporarily storing the request message in the image database 21 . In any case, the operator visually recognizes the request message displayed on the display 12 and operates the input interface 13 to input information for identifying the individual patient.

Accordingly, in step ST1, the processing circuit 15 accepts input of information for identifying the individual patient. After that, the processing circuit 15 executes the processing of steps ST2 to ST10 using the acquisition function 151, the change function 152, the comparison function 157, and the like. The change function 152 includes a detection function 153, a display control function 154, a setting function 155 and an adjustment function 156 as appropriate.

After step ST1, the processing circuit 15 obtains the positions of the plurality of first anatomical landmarks from the first medical image in the memory 11 in step ST2.

After step ST2, in steps ST3 to ST6, the processing circuit 15 changes the weighting settings of the first anatomical landmarks based on the acquired positions.

Specifically, in step ST3, as shown in FIG. 4, the processing circuit 15 generates a plurality of first anatomical landmarks L11 to L15 acquired from the first medical image g1 and a plurality of landmarks in the average medical image. Compare with average anatomical landmarks L1a-L5a. As a result, the processing circuit 15 identifies the first anatomical landmarks L3 to L5 that deviate from the average anatomical landmarks L3a to L5a among the plurality of first anatomical landmarks L11 to L15. Points P1 to P3 are detected (step ST4; Yes). In this case, after updating the singularity flag of the weighting information 11a in the memory 11, the processing circuit 15 may cause the display 12 to display the first medical image g1 showing the singularities P1 to P3 as shown in FIG. good. The peculiarity flag indicates a peculiarity with "1" and a non-peculiarity with "0", but "1" and "0" may be used in reverse. Alternatively, the processing circuit 15 may cause the display 12 to display a list indicating names of singular points, such as that shown in FIG. 6, together with the first medical image g1. In any case, the processing circuit 15 proceeds to step ST5 when detecting a singular point. If no singular point is detected (ST4; No), the process proceeds to step ST7.

In step ST5, the processing circuit 15, for example, as shown in FIG. 7 or FIG. 12b is displayed on the display 12. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the setting screen 12a is superimposed on the first medical image g1, and the landmarks indicating the singular points P1, . , and a GUI (e.g., check box) indicating whether or not P3 is used for comparison. In addition to this, the setting screens 12a and 12b may include a GUI of an execution button bt. Landmarks indicating the singular points P1, . . . , P3 may be superimposed on the schematic diagram corresponding to the first medical image g1 instead of the first medical image g1. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the setting screen 12b is a tabular form in which the name of the singular point and a GUI (eg, check box) indicating whether or not to use the singular point for comparison for each name of the singular point are associated. It is a screen. In any case, the setting screens 12a and 12b allow the operator to set whether or not to use the singular points P1, .

After step ST5, in step ST6, the processing circuit 15 sets the weighting of the singular points P1, P2, and P3 according to the GUI operation by the operator while the setting screen 12a is being displayed, for example. In this example, by setting a check box so that the singular points P1 to P3 are not used for comparison and operating the execution button bt, the comparison exclusion flag of the weighting information 11a in the memory 11 is updated. The comparison target exclusion flag is represented by "1" when excluded from comparison targets and "0" when not excluded, but "1" and "0" may be used in reverse. Instead of the execution button bt, it may be modified so that the current state of the check box is set after a certain period of time has elapsed. That is, the GUI of the execution button bt is an arbitrary additional item and may be omitted.

After step ST6, in step ST7, the processing circuit 15 searches for patient information in the patient information database 22 based on the received information, and searches the image database 21 based on the patient ID of the obtained patient information. After that, the second medical image extracted from the image database 21 is stored in the memory 11 .

After step ST7, the processing circuit 15 acquires the positions of the plurality of second anatomical landmarks from the second medical image in the memory 11 in step ST8.

After step ST8, in steps ST9 to ST10, the processing circuit 15, as shown in FIG. 9, sets the first anatomical landmarks L11 and L12 and the 2 Compare with anatomical landmarks L21 and L22. The processing circuit 15 also causes the display 12 to display information based on the result of the comparison. As information based on the result of the comparison, for example, a (weighted) degree of matching Da for each anatomical landmark, or a similarity obtained by averaging each degree of matching Da may be used. The degree of matching Da is, for example, a value determined to decrease as the difference between the relative coordinates of the first anatomical landmark and the relative coordinates of the second anatomical landmark increases. The degree of coincidence Da is the weighting value wt in the weighting information 11a when the difference between the relative coordinates of the first anatomical landmark information and the relative coordinates of the second anatomical landmark information is 0. and the absolute value of the difference between the relative coordinates of the first anatomical landmark information and the relative coordinates of the second anatomical landmark information is determined to be 0 at the limit of infinity value. The difference in relative coordinates is, for example, the distance introduced by the Euclidean norm on the three-dimensional space and corresponds to the result of the comparison. Embodiments are not limited to this and may use other types of distances, such as distances introduced by the L1 norm.

A specific expression of the matching degree Da is given by, for example, Da=wt/(1+x), where x is the distance between the relative coordinates of the two and wt is the weighting value of the anatomical landmark. In other words, the degree of matching Da is the weighted value obtained by adding 1 to the distance x between the relative coordinates of the first anatomical landmark information and the relative coordinates of the second anatomical landmark information and taking the reciprocal. It is a value multiplied by the value wt.

That is, at this time, when the distance x is 0, the matching degree Da is wt. Also, as the distance x increases from 0, the matching degree Da monotonously decreases. Also, the degree of coincidence Da becomes 0 at the limit where the distance x is infinite. Therefore, the matching degree Da is a real number greater than 0 and less than or equal to wt.

The degree of similarity is the average value of the degree of matching Da for each anatomical landmark. Note that the degree of similarity may be called the degree of matching for each part, or may be called the degree of matching.

Alternatively, as information based on the comparison result, a character string or symbol indicating whether the degree of matching Da or the degree of similarity is higher or lower than a threshold may be displayed on the display 12 .

In either case, information is displayed based on the result of the comparison of the first anatomical landmark and the second anatomical landmark. A doctor visually recognizes the displayed information and identifies the patient. Thus, displaying information based on the results of the comparison can assist in patient identification while accounting for changes in anatomical landmarks due to patient history.

After that, the processing circuit 15 sends the identified patient's medical information including the patient information, past medical history, and past second medical image to the sender of the above-described request message in response to the operation of the input interface 13 by the operator. to the medical information processing system 31. In this manner, the medical information processing system 1 can cooperate with the medical information processing system 31 connected via the network. In addition, the medical information processing system 1 or the medical information processing system 31 of the cooperating destination can appropriately manage patient information and the like by associating different patient IDs for the same identified patient with each other by the operation of the operator.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the medical information processing apparatus includes the first storage unit (memory 11) that stores a new first medical image. The medical information processing system also includes a storage device (image database 21) that stores new first medical images. A medical information processing apparatus and a medical information processing system obtain positions of a plurality of first anatomical landmarks from a first medical image. Further, based on the acquired position, the setting of the weighting of the first anatomical landmarks used for comparison with the plurality of second anatomical landmarks in the past second medical image is changed. Therefore, patient identification can be assisted while taking into account changes in anatomical landmarks due to the patient's anamnesis.

Supplementally, generally, mechanisms for identifying patients include PIX (Patient Identifier Cross-reference) and PDQ (Patient Demographics Query), for example. However, the PIX and PDQ mechanisms have the disadvantage that they cannot identify patients who cannot answer questions accurately, such as unconscious emergency patients and patients with dementia.

On the other hand, there is My Number as a mechanism to identify individuals from a different point of view. However, My Numbers cannot be used for procedures other than social security, taxation, and disaster countermeasures as stipulated by laws and ordinances, and cannot be used to identify patients. It should be noted that even if the use of any unified ID is started in the future, the unified ID cannot be used to identify the patient for the medical information before the start of use.

Further, from a different point of view, as a technique for identifying an individual, there is a technique for collating biometric information such as dental treatment history, fingerprints, voiceprints, and the like. However, this type of technology may require additional information input by the patient, which is complicated and has the inconvenience of not being able to identify patients who cannot input information.

On the other hand, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to resolve such inconveniences and to support patient identification by taking into account changes in anatomical landmarks due to the patient's medical history. Supplementally, according to the first embodiment, by considering changes due to past history such as gastrectomy and excluding singular points, it is possible to compare deformed medical images of the same patient and identify the patient. Supporting.

Further, according to the first embodiment, among the plurality of first anatomical landmarks, the first anatomical landmarks deviating from the average anatomical landmark positions are identified based on the acquired positions. Detect as a point. Also, a weighting setting screen including a GUI for setting whether or not to use the detected singular point for comparison is displayed on the display unit. While the setting screen is displayed, the weighting of the singular points is set according to the GUI operation by the operator. In this way, according to the configuration for displaying the setting screen using the GUI, in addition to the effects described above, it is possible to easily set whether or not to use the singular point for comparison.

Further, according to the first embodiment, the setting screen is superimposed on the first medical image or the schematic diagram corresponding to the first medical image, and the landmark indicating the singular point is arranged near the landmark. A GUI for setting whether or not to use the points for comparison may be included. In this case, it is possible to set whether or not to use the singular point for comparison while visually recognizing the landmark indicating the singular point, so it is possible to provide a visually easy-to-understand operating environment.

Further, according to the first embodiment, the setting screen is a tabular form in which the name of the singular point and the GUI for setting whether or not to use the singular point for comparison for each name of the singular point are associated. It may be a screen. In this case, setting operations can be performed while moving rows or columns on the tabular screen. Therefore, compared to the above-described setting screen using landmarks, there is no need to move the cursor to the vicinity of the singular point, and operation is easy. environment can be provided.

<Second embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment will be described.

The second embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, and weighting settings are performed when an artifact (eg, coil, stent, artificial eyeball, bottle, etc.) is imaged in the first medical image. is changed. For example, if an emergency patient had a stent in the thoracic aorta, increasing the weighting value for patients with a stent in the thoracic aorta would reduce reliability, since there would be very little chance that another patient would have a stent in the same position. We are trying to improve. If an emergency patient has a stent in the thoracic aorta, but a patient to be compared does not have a stent at the same position, the patient is not removed from the comparison and the weighting value is not changed. The reason why it is not excluded from comparison is that even if there is the first artifact in the new first medical image and there is no artifact in the past second medical image, a stent was placed between the two medical images. This is because there is a possibility that the patient in both medical images is the same. The reason why the weighting value is not changed in this case is that the reliability does not change.

Accordingly, the acquisition function 151 of the processing circuitry 15 acquires the positions of the plurality of first anatomical landmarks from the first medical image and detects the first artifact captured within the first medical image. .

A comparison function 157 of processing circuitry 15 performs a comparison between the first anatomical landmark and the second anatomical landmark based on the weighting setting. Here, the comparison function 157 sets the weighting so as to increase the weighting value of the first anatomical landmark when the second artifact corresponding to the first artifact is present in the second medical image. to change The weighting values are included in the weighting information 11a as shown in FIG.

The configuration of other parts of the medical information processing apparatus 10 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

Next, the operation of the medical information processing apparatus 10 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 10 and the schematic diagram of FIG.

Assume that steps ST1 to ST7 have been executed in the same manner as described above. However, in step ST2, the processing circuit 15 has obtained the position of the first anatomical landmark and detected the first artifact captured in the first medical image.

After step ST7, in step ST9, the processing circuit 15 compares the first anatomical landmark and the second anatomical landmark based on the weight setting. This step ST9 is executed as shown in steps ST9-1 to ST9-3.

In step ST9-1, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, the processing circuit 15 determines whether a second artifact A2 corresponding to the first artifact A1 in the first medical image g1a exists in the second medical image g2a. determine whether If the result of this determination is NO, the process proceeds to step ST9-3. For example, when there is a first artifact A1 in the first medical image g1a of the emergency patient, but there is no second artifact A2 at the same position in the second medical image g2a, the weighting value is not changed, and the comparison process is performed. transition to

On the other hand, if the result of determination in step ST9-1 is that the second artifact A2 is present, in step ST9-2 the processing circuit 15 increases the weighting value of the first anatomical landmark. Change weighting settings.

After step ST9-2, in step ST9-3, the processing circuit 15 compares the first anatomical landmark and the second anatomical landmark based on the weight setting. Thus, step ST9 (ST9-1 to ST9-3) is completed.

After step ST9, the processes after step ST10 are executed in the same manner as described above.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, the positions of a plurality of first anatomical landmarks are obtained from the first medical image, and the first artifact captured in the first medical image is detected. . The setting is changed to increase the weighting value of the first anatomical landmark when a second artifact corresponding to the first artifact is present in the second medical image. Therefore, in addition to the effect of the first embodiment, when there is an artifact common between the first medical image and the second medical image, each anatomical landmark can be reduced by increasing the weighting value. The reliability of the comparison result can be improved.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment will be described.
The third embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, and describes a case where singular points are weighted. For example, in resecting an organ such as the liver, the resecting position varies depending on the position of the tumor, so the shape of the organ is likely to change, and anatomical landmarks are also likely to change. Therefore, when the singular point is an organ, it is preferable to lower the weighting value. In contrast, in the case of plastic surgery treatment, the positions of anatomical landmarks are less likely to change. Therefore, when the singular point is a bone, it is preferable to increase the weighting value.

Along with this, the detection function 153 of the processing circuit 15 detects the first anatomical landmarks out of the plurality of first anatomical landmarks that deviate from the average anatomical landmark position based on the acquired positions. is detected as a singular point.

The adjustment function 156 of the processing circuit 15 adjusts the setting so that the weighting value is lower than the initial value when the singular point indicates a part of the organ. The weighting values are included in the weighting information 11a as shown in FIG.

The configuration of other parts of the medical information processing apparatus 10 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

Next, the operation of the medical information processing apparatus 10 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

Assume that steps ST1 to ST4 are executed in the same manner as described above.
After step ST4, step ST5 is omitted and step ST6 is executed as ST6a-1 to ST6a-2.

At step ST6a-1, the processing circuit 15 determines whether or not the detected singular point indicates a part of the organ. If the result of this determination is NO, step ST6 is terminated and the process proceeds to step ST7.

On the other hand, if the singular point indicates a part of the organ as a result of the determination in step ST6a-1, in step ST6a-2, the processing circuit 15 sets the weighting value of the singular point lower than the initial value. Adjust weighting settings. Thus, step ST6 (ST6a-1 to ST6a-2) is completed.

After step ST6, the processes after step ST7 are executed in the same manner as described above.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, the first anatomical landmark out of the plurality of first anatomical landmarks deviated from the position of the average anatomical landmark based on the acquired positions. is detected as a singular point. If the singular point indicates a part of the organ, adjust the settings so that the weighting value is lower than the initial value. Therefore, in addition to the effect of the first embodiment, the weighting value can be adjusted according to the site of the anatomical landmark, so the accuracy of the comparison result of the anatomical landmarks can be improved.

<Fourth Embodiment>
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described.

The fourth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, and describes a case where singularity exclusion information is saved when singularities are excluded and not used. For example, based on singular point exclusion information when singular points are excluded from the first medical image of a certain patient, it is possible to save time and effort when excluding singular points from the first medical image of another patient.

Along with this, the memory 11 stores singular point exclusion information 11b written from the processing circuit 15 as shown in FIG. The peculiar point exclusion information 11b describes setting screen data collectively initialized so that a plurality of peculiar points are not used for comparison, and the past history input according to the operation of the operator in association with each other. The setting screen data may further include an execution button (not shown). As described above, the medical history is information about deformation of anatomical landmarks, so it may be part of the surgical report showing the medical history such as gastrectomy. Gastrectomy includes, for example, total gastrectomy, pyloric side gastrectomy, pylorus-preserving gastrectomy, and cardial side gastrectomy. The past history may include a history of untreated illnesses or injuries that deform anatomical landmarks. In any case, anamnesis is associated with singularities of anatomical landmarks.

The setting function 155 of the processing circuit 15 writes the singularity exclusion information 11b to the memory 11 (second storage unit) when the weighting of a plurality of singularities is set so as not to be used for comparison. Memory 11 is an example of a second storage unit.

The display control function 154 of the processing circuit 15 reads the setting screen data in the memory 11 based on the medical history of the patient in the first medical image, and uses the setting screen data to display the setting screen on the display 12 .

The configuration of other parts of the medical information processing apparatus 10 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

Next, the operation of the medical information processing apparatus 10 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS. 14 and 15 and the schematic diagram of FIG.

Now, assume that steps ST1 to ST5 have been executed for the first medical image of a certain patient in the same manner as described above.

After step ST5, step ST6 is executed as shown in FIG. This step ST6 includes steps ST6b-1 to ST6b-4.

First, step ST6b-1 is executed in the same manner as step ST6 described above.

After step ST6b-1, in step ST6b-2, the processing circuit 15 determines whether weighting of a plurality of singular points is newly set. If the result of this determination is NO, step ST6 is terminated and the process proceeds to step ST7.

On the other hand, if a new setting is made as a result of the determination in step ST6b-2, in step ST6b-3, the processing circuit 15 receives an input of the past history according to the operator's operation.

After step ST6b-3, in step ST6b-4, the processing circuit 15 collectively initializes setting screen data so that the newly set singular points are not used for comparison, and It is written in the memory 11 in association with the past history input accordingly. The memory 11 associates and stores the setting screen data and the past history. Information that associates the setting screen data with the past history is also called singularity exclusion information 11b. As described above, step ST6 (ST6b-1 to ST6b-4) for the first medical image of a certain patient is completed.

After step ST6, the processes after step ST7 are executed in the same manner as described above. This completes the processing from step ST7 on the first medical image of a certain patient.

Next, it is assumed that the processing after step ST1 is newly started for the first medical image of another patient different from the certain patient.

Assume that steps ST1 to ST4 have been executed in the same manner as described above.

After step ST4, as shown in FIG. 15, the process of step ST5 is executed. This step ST5 includes steps ST5c-1 to ST5c-4.

First, in step ST5c-1, the processing circuit 15 determines whether or not there is a medical history of the other patient. If the result of this determination is NO, the aforementioned setting screen is displayed (step ST5c-2), and the process proceeds to step ST6c.

On the other hand, if the result of determination in step ST5c-1 is that there is an anamnesis, the processing circuit 15 reads setting screen data from the memory 11 based on the anamnesis in step ST5c-3.

After step ST5c-3, in step ST5c-4, the processing circuit 15 displays the setting screen 12c as shown in FIG. 16 based on the setting screen data. This setting screen 12c is collectively initialized so that a plurality of newly set singular points are not used for comparison. For example, the setting screen 12c includes three singular point names “pylorus,” “gastric angle,” and “duodenal entrance” and a GUI (check box ) and the GUI of the execution button bt. Thus, step ST5 (ST5c-1 to ST5c-4) of displaying a setting screen for a plurality of singular points among a plurality of first anatomical landmarks in the first medical image of another patient is completed.

After step ST5, in step ST6c, the processing circuit 15 selects a plurality of singular points "pylorus", "angle of stomach", and "entrance of duodenum" according to the GUI operation by the operator, for example, while the setting screen 12c is being displayed. Set weights collectively. In this example, the GUI (check box) that is collectively initialized so as not to use the three singular points for comparison is not operated, and the GUI of the execution button bt is operated. In addition, in step ST6c, since the state of initial setting should be maintained, a cancel button for canceling the setting screen 12c may be used instead of the execution button bt.

After step ST6c, the processes after step ST7 are executed in the same manner as described above. This completes the processing from step ST7 on the first medical image of another patient.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, when the weighting of a plurality of singular points is set so as not to be used for comparison, the plurality of singular points are collectively initialized so as not to be used for comparison. The setting screen data and the past history input according to the operator's operation are associated with each other and written in the second storage unit. Further, the setting screen data in the second storage unit is read based on the patient's medical history of the first medical image, and the setting screen is displayed on the display unit using the setting screen data. Therefore, in addition to the effect of the first embodiment, the configuration for performing initial setting for collectively excluding a plurality of singular points for each anamnestic history can reduce the operator's trouble of setting operation.

According to at least one embodiment described above, the medical information processing apparatus includes the first storage unit (memory 11) that stores past first medical images. The medical information processing system also includes a storage device (image database 21) that stores past first medical images. A medical information processing apparatus and a medical information processing system obtain positions of a plurality of first anatomical landmarks from a first medical image. Further, based on the acquired position, the setting of the weighting of the first anatomical landmarks used for comparison with the plurality of second anatomical landmarks in the past second medical image is changed. Therefore, patient identification can be assisted while taking into account changes in anatomical landmarks due to the patient's anamnesis.

The term "processor" used in the above description is, for example, a CPU (central processing unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), a programmable logic device (e.g. , Simple Programmable Logic Device (SPLD), Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), and Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)). The processor implements its functions by reading and executing programs stored in the memory 11 . Instead of storing the program in the memory 11, the program may be directly incorporated into the circuit of the processor. In this case, the processor realizes its function by reading and executing the program embedded in the circuit.

It should be noted that although several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

Reference Signs List 1, 31, 32, 3n medical information processing system 10 medical information processing apparatus 11 memory 11a weighting information 11b singularity exclusion information 12 display 12a to 12c setting screen 13 input interface 15 processing circuit 151 acquisition function 152 change function 153 detection function 154 display Control function 155 Setting function 156 Adjustment function 16 Communication interface 21 Image database 22 Patient information database 23 Gateway device g1, g1a First medical image g2, g2a Second medical image A1, A2 Artifact L11-L15 First anatomical landmark L1a-L5a average anatomical landmarks P1-P3 singularities L21-L25 secondary anatomical landmarks Nw network

Claims (8)

a first storage unit that stores a new first medical image;
an acquisition unit that acquires the positions of a plurality of first anatomical landmarks from the first medical image;
a changing unit that changes weighting settings of the first anatomical landmarks used for comparison with a plurality of second anatomical landmarks in a past second medical image, based on the acquired positions;
with
The change unit
a detection unit that detects, as a singular point, a first anatomical landmark out of the plurality of first anatomical landmarks that deviates from an average anatomical landmark position based on the acquired position;
a display control unit that causes a display unit to display the weighting setting screen including a GUI for setting whether or not to use the detected singular point for the comparison;
A medical information processing apparatus, comprising: a setting unit that sets the weighting of the singular point according to a GUI operation by an operator while the setting screen is displayed. The setting screen is
a landmark superimposed on the first medical image or a schematic diagram corresponding to the first medical image and indicating the singular point;
2. The medical information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a GUI arranged near said landmark and for setting whether said singular point is used for comparison. The setting screen is
2. The medical information processing according to claim 1 , wherein the screen is a tabular screen that associates the name of the singularity with a GUI for setting whether or not to use the singularity for comparison for each name of the singularity. Device. The setting screen is
2. The medical information according to claim 1 , which is a tabular screen that associates the names of the plurality of singular points with a GUI for collectively setting whether or not to use the plurality of singular points for comparison. processing equipment. a comparison unit that compares the first anatomical landmark and the second anatomical landmark based on the weight setting;
The acquisition unit acquires the position and detects a first artifact captured in the first medical image,
The comparison unit performs the setting to increase the weighting value of the first anatomical landmark when a second artifact corresponding to the first artifact is present in the second medical image. The medical information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , which is modified. The change unit
An adjustment unit that adjusts the setting so that the weighting value is lower than the initial value when the singular point indicates a part of the organ.
The medical information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: When the weighting of a plurality of singular points is set so as not to be used in the comparison, the setting unit collectively initializes the plurality of singular points so that the singular points are not used in the comparison, and the operation write in the second storage unit in association with the past history input according to the operation of the person,
The display control unit
2. The setting screen data according to claim 1 , wherein the setting screen data in the second storage unit is read based on the patient's medical history of the first medical image, and the setting screen is displayed on the display unit using the setting screen data. Medical information processing equipment. a storage device for storing a new first medical image;
an acquisition unit configured to acquire positions of a plurality of first anatomical landmarks from the first medical image;
a changing unit that changes a weighting setting of the first anatomical landmark used for comparison with a plurality of second anatomical landmarks in a past second medical image based on the acquired position ;
The change unit
a detection unit that detects, as a singular point, a first anatomical landmark out of the plurality of first anatomical landmarks that deviates from an average anatomical landmark position based on the acquired position;
a display control unit that causes a display unit to display the weighting setting screen including a GUI for setting whether or not to use the detected singular point for the comparison;
a setting unit that sets the weighting of the singular points according to the operation of the GUI by an operator while the setting screen is displayed;
medical information processing system.

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